I now also note that CASA personnel are not permitted to ride in GA aircraft without specific approval from their higher ups
I'm going back a couple of decades, but our FOI was not permitted to fly on line flights in any capacity, even observing as a pax. Is this normal? His only flying was renewing the C & T qualifications, so had no understanding of what ACTUALLY occurred on the line. Perhaps that was the point, ignorance is bliss.